Synonyms of hustled

hustled

verb

past tense of hustle

1

as in struggled

to devote serious and sustained effort

everyone really hustled to get the project finished on schedule

Synonyms & Similar Words

• struggled
• labored
• worked
• endeavored
• tried
• tugged
• toiled
• plowed
• grubbed
• humped
• slaved
• strove
• plodded
• slogged
• dug (away)
• sweat
• plugged
• drudged
• fagged
• pegged (away)
• strained
• travailed
• attacked
• moiled
• banged away
• drove
• sweat blood
• essayed
• applied (oneself)
• scratched
• exerted
• beavered (away)
• trudged
• exercised
• dug in
• hammered (away)
• waded
• pitched in
• buckled (down)
• overworked
• scrabbled
• eked out
• knuckled down
• overexerted
• ground (out)
• put out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• broke
• slackened
• eased (up)
• lounged
• chilled
• idled
• shirked
• let up
• loafed
• rested
• lazed
• dallied
• bummed
• hung (around or out)
• relaxed
• played
• basked
• hung
• slacked (off)
• unwound
• hacked (around)
• goofed (off)
• lolled
• reposed
• dabbled
• trifled
• goldbricked
• footled
• dillydallied
• fooled around
• doodled
• vegged out
• messed around
• goofed (around)
• hung about
• puttered (around)
• pottered (around)
• monkeyed (around)
• fribbled

2

as in hurried

to proceed or move quickly

we'd better hustle, or we'll miss the train

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hurried
• scurried
• sped
• raced
• rushed
• trotted
• drove
• traveled
• flew
• chased
• zipped
• jumped
• buzzed
• scooted
• stepped
• ran
• darted
• blew
• dashed
• scuttled
• blasted
• bolted
• ripped
• whirled
• rammed
• bustled
• jogged
• tore
• bowled
• zoomed
• hastened
• breezed
• whisked
• hurtled
• blazed
• hurled
• rustled
• motored
• careened
• barreled
• bundled
• hied
• humped
• rocketed
• pelted
• shot
• nipped
• careered
• jetted
• galloped
• coursed
• cracked (on)
• bombed
• belted
• beat it
• hared
• scampered
• sprinted
• flitted
• highballed
• stepped on it
• cannonballed
• scuffled
• stampeded
• hotfooted (it)
• streaked
• whizzed
• made tracks
• shook a leg
• got a move on
• scudded
• accelerated
• overtook
• beetled
• outran
• quickened
• outpaced
• outstripped
• stepped out
• caught up
• beelined
• arrowed
• fast-forwarded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• crept
• dragged
• crawled
• poked
• lingered
• lagged
• loitered
• strolled
• hung (around or out)
• poked
• sauntered
• shuffled
• ambled
• tarried
• dawdled
• dallied
• plodded
• lumbered
• slowed (down or up)
• decelerated
• dillydallied

3

as in squeezed

to rob by the use of trickery or threats

a swindler who hustled cashiers by getting them all confused while they were making change

Synonyms & Similar Words

• squeezed
• plucked
• cheated
• stung
• stuck
• screwed
• beat
• did
• tricked
• bled
• suckered
• deceived
• swindled
• victimized
• stiffed
• shortchanged
• rooked
• conned
• reamed
• fiddled
• diddled
• bilked
• defrauded
• fleeced
• exploited
• flimflammed
• hosed
• euchred
• shorted
• cozened
• mulcted
• fooled
• gaffed
• chiseled
• skinned
• ripped off
• shook down
• betrayed
• skunked
• wrenched
• nobbled
• extorted
• choused
• took for a ride
• took to the cleaners
• clipped
• thimblerigged
• did in
• gouged
• nicked
• milked
• soaked
• wrested
• wrung
• duped
• sold a bill of goods to
• overcharged
• gulled
• bitched
• bamboozled
• double-crossed
• roped (in)
• fast-talked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hustled

The over-all technical director, Oscar Lopez, whose day job entails managing events at Resorts World, hustled crews carefully among setups and sites. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

During a break Saturday, Freeling hustled home and caught two episodes before returning to the hotel where the rookies and younger players stay during camp ahead of curfew. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 27 July 2026

With one hour to collect their gear and pack the school bus taking them to Miami Gardens, the kids hustled to get ready to make their World Cup debut. — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026

Angela George The program's pacing and energy feel hustled this evening as organizers try to make up for two hours lost because of storms earlier in the day. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026

He was hustled by Charlie Parker and was part of the American delegation at the inauguration of his good friend Nelson Mandela. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026

The few that didn’t have hustled to catch up. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026

The first inning looked promising as Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda singled, and Cedric Mullins hustled his bunt attempt into a hit to load the bases. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026

As bankers hustled behind closed doors to price the deal and reporters indicated a first price of as high as $175, SpaceX perp-traders on Hyperliquid were buying and selling futures as high as $180 around the opening bell and as low as $153 just before the first trade came in at $150. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 15 June 2026